Many kinds of lighting fixture are known and ones of various shapes and structures are used in accordance with their purpose. And among these, some illuminate objects indirectly rather than by directly radiated light, and these include lighting fixtures of various structures that enable radiation in every direction and installation at any location, and also offer outstanding visual effect.
An ordinary lighting fixture is primarily intended for installation in a space for directly illuminating a subject and giving it a brighter appearance. However, lighting fixtures also exist that by adopting a structure differing from the ordinary lighting fixture in terms of place installed, radiating direction and radiation method, are capable of diffusing light uniformly within a space and of not only lighting the space but also rendering spatial visual effects.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2010-192388 teaches a technical concept relating to a lighting fixture capable of regulating light distribution by also radiating light in many directions outside an LED light-emitting direction, which lighting fixture radiates some light emitted in one direction from an LED light source unit through a half-mirror member and out from one light outlet opening and radiates light reflected by the half-mirror member through another light outlet opening, thereby radiating light in multiple directions.
In the case of installing the so-devised lighting fixture on a side wall of building or the like, light distribution can be regulated by radiating light in multiple directions even when using an LED of high directivity as a light source. However, when the lighting fixture is embedded in a wall or floor for use, problems arise because light distribution becomes difficult to regulate. Another problem is that serviceability is not taken into account, so that light source replacement and other maintenance work become difficult in the case of wall- or floor-embedded installation.
Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2011-3547 teaches a technical concept that is an illuminating apparatus for a building capable of effectively dissipating heat produced by an LED light source and preventing the dissipated heat from increasing temperature of the illuminated space, which is installed in a baseboard region between a floor and an inner wall region to light a room by reflecting an illuminating beam from an LED light source, store heat discharged from the LED light source in a heat storage section, and then dissipate the heat from a heat dissipating section.
The so-devised illuminating apparatus can ensure safe use by dissipating generated heat, but it fails to offer adequate convenience from the viewpoint of light source maintenance (repair/replacement). Moreover, it is not made for use in a condition embedded under a floor and by structure shines light directly onto room occupants, so that also it has a drawback in not being able to produce an effect of softly lighting the room interior.
An embedded lighting fixture requires good safety and serviceability, as well as functionality for adequately achieving performance as a lighting fixture.
Therefore, a need has been felt for the development of an easy-to-use lighting fixture of not overly complicated structure, that is safe, excellent in serviceability and usable in any type of building.